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Thor: Ragnarok's Grandmaster is The Collector's Brother

Jeff Goldblum’s character in Thor: Ragnarok is the Collector’s brother. San Diego Comic-Con is the ideal place for big studios to reveal exclusive footage, concept art, and share big announcements regarding their upcoming films. One of the most anticipated panels is that of Marvel Studios, who are always ready to surprise their fans with big revelations.

During their panel at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, while sharing details on the third Thor movie Thor: Ragnarok, it was revealed that Jeff Goldblum’s character the Grandmaster is actually the Collector’s brother, building a connection to the already established part of the cosmic side of the MCU. The Collector (played by Benicio del Toro) first appeared at the end of Thor: The Dark World and had a bigger presence in Guardians of the Galaxy, in which he briefly explained the origin of the Infinity Stones.

In the comics, the Grandmaster (whose real name is En Dwi Gast) is one of the Elders of the Universe – a group of supervillains who also happen to be the last survivors of extinct races and who are known for their personal obsessions, such as collecting, gaming, and fighting. The Grandmaster, at some point, possessed the Mind Gem and lost it to – who else – Thanos. He is also a cosmic game player whose game of preference is pitting two opposing teams against each other.

A few details have been tweaked for the film: for instance, Goldblum will not have the Grandmaster’s distinctive blue skin and will be the ruler of Sakaar – the planet where the Hulk has been hiding since his “disappearance” at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron. As for the Collector, the last time we saw him he was in the post-credits scene in Guardians of the Galaxy, sitting among the ruins of his place, having a drink near Howard the Duck.

The revelation of this familial connection between the Grandmaster and the Collector is not far from the source. In fact, the Collector (who was the first Elder to appear) has been depicted in different media appearances as the brother of the Grandmaster. Although they are from different species and therefore are not related by blood, being part of the same group such as the Elders can build a bond like that of a brotherhood.

It’s still unknown how this connection will play in the narrative of Thor: Ragnarok, especially when it comes to the Infinity Stones and the build-up to Avengers: Infinity War. On the other hand, this could make way for more Elders to appear in future films, further expanding the MCU.